Rudolph

Rudolph put up a valiant fight, and so did the Grinch. Even little Ralphie Parker gave it his best shot. But in the end, no one had enough firepower to vanquish the all-powerful Peanuts gang.

That’s how our first Holiday TV Tournament went down. The voters have had their say: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is the most beloved yuletide program of all time.

And, good grief, it wasn’t even close.

Thanks to all of you who voted and helped to make this a fun holiday project. Who knows? We might have a tournament next year to determine the top holoiday song of all time. Until then, you can check out the complete 32-program bracket by clicking here.

Through the first two rounds of our Holiday TV Tourney, Charlie Brown has piled up the votes and pummeled his rivals with ease. But so has The Grinch. What will happen now that they have to face each other?

It’s up to you to decide as Round 3 gets under way. Your votes will help us determine the most beloved yuletide program of all time. We started with 32 iconic programs (movies and specials) and now we’re down to only eight:

BTW, “National Lampoon” barely survived the second round, topping “The Polar Express” by only 4 measely votes! That’s why we’re looking for a HUGE turnout at the polls for this round. We want to get an accurate read of public sentiment. We want there to be no doubt.

Please note that the polls for Round 3 close at noon on Friday. That leaves you plenty of time to cast your votes by clicking here.

All this time, I thought Frosty the Snowman was a jolly happy soul. But right now, he’s is getting absolutely jack-stomped by the Grinch in our first-ever Holiday TV tournament.

In fact, we’ve got more blowouts brewing in Round 2 (Rudolph is clobbering Shrek), but there is one intriguing matchup between two very different holiday movies — the sweet and sentimental “Polar Express” and the raunchy and irreverent “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

They account for the tightest race in Round 2, separated, as they are, by only a handful of votes. So who do you side with — Chevy Chase or Tom Hanks? Let your voice be heard! Cast your vote right now by clicking here.

Round 1 of our first-ever Holiday TV Tournament is history, with all four top seeds (Charlie Brown, Wonderful Life, Rudolph and A Christmas Story) advancing easily.

In fact, the only minor upset came when 11th-seeded “The Little Drummer Boy” knocked off 6th-seeded “The Year without a Santa Claus.” We didn’t see that one coming, but Drummer Boy obviously has got game.

The closest showdown in Round 1 came on the movie side of the bracket as “Home Alone” topped “The Santa Claus” by a mere nine votes. Tim Allen simply could not handle Macaulay Culkin in the open court.

In fact, it has been a brutal tournament for Disney fans. Not only did “The Santa Claus” go down, but so did “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Disney Prep & Landing,” though the latter is a rookie special so that was predictable.

We expect the matchups to be much more competitive in the second round. We’ve got “Frosty the Snowman” duking it out with the “Grinch,” after all, so things could get bloody.

But it all doesn’t mean anything unless you get in there and vote. Take some time to let us know your favorites by clicking here.

OK, I love Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch and Charlie Brown. But we need some new blood — and some laugh — this Christmas. So I have high hopes for “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!” It’s a new special starring Stephen Colbert airing on Comedy Central Sunday night.